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Swans

This weekend The Saints make only there second trip too The Liberty, with the chance to go level on points with The Swans.

So, another busy week on the South Coast, but unusually the TV crews didn’t have SO14 tapped in on the Sat-Nav, but our bitter rivals Pompey little over 20 miles away. Yes Saints fans, the skates have dropped yet another division taking them to the rock bottom of The Football League. Oldham beat Yeovil by one goal to nil, condemning both Pompey and Hartlepool to relegation.

As Barnet beckon for Pompey it’s Barca who beckon for Saints, having not lost since late February, The Reds are on fantastic form and make the trip to South Wales full of confidence. However it won’t be easy, as Swansea will be fired up looking to send a message out to their rivals who coincidentally have been making some noise of there own.

Saints make there first trip to The Liberty since 2008, where they were easily beaten 3-0.The two managers Pochettino and Laudrup last met in Spain, however when they were in charge of Espanyol and Real Mallorca respectively. That match which came a month before Laudrup resigned finished 1-0 to Mallorca, with current Swans player Jonathan De Guzman scoring a 62nd minute winner.

Another potential reunions our leading scorer Ricky Lambert and Swansea Captain Ashley Williams, Who Played together at stockport almost a decade ago.

Fast forward to the present day, and both teams have drawn plaudits for their attractive styles of football which are set to grace the Premier League again next season. Saints currently have 38 points from 33 games played, and sit in twelfth place after last Saturday’s hard-fought 1-1 draw with West Ham at St Mary’s. Swansea sit 3 places and 3 points better off in 9th, but with a game in hand.

Team News

Luke Shaw, Jay Rod and Jason Puncheon could all return after missing out with illness, but Kelvin Davis and Guly are doubts due to that nifty sick bug and illness respectively.

Stats

Swansea and Southampton have met only three times in the last 30 years. Before they drew 1-1 earlier in the season, the last time they met was in the 2008-09 season in the Championship where Swansea took four points off the Saints, winning 3-0 at home and drawing 2-2 away.

Southampton have not won at Swansea since a 1-0 victory in 1962 in the old Division Two.

This is the 60th meeting between the sides. Southampton have won 27 times, Swansea 18 and there have been 14 draws.

Swansea have picked up only four points from five Premier League games since winning the Capital One Cup.

Swansea have won just four of their last 17 league matches.

Swansea City are yet to win in the Premier League this season when they have fallen behind (D7, L11).

Leon Britton could make his 400th league appearance.

The Saints are undefeated in their last five league matches.

They have scored the opening goal 18 times this season – only Manchester United (19), Chelsea (20) and Tottenham Hotspur (20) have done so more often.

Southampton have thrown away more points (29) from winning positions this season than any other team in the top flight.

Rickie Lambert is the top-scoring Englishman in the division this season with 14 goals.